The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-24

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less, and are driven before the gale.
It Ia high time that all city and stat
authority, as well a. the Federal govern
ment, appreciate the awful statistics that
while years ago In this country there wa
set apart 48,000,000 acres OF land TO
school purposes, there are now In New Eng
land 101,OO0 people who can neither rea'
nor write, and In the state of Pennsylvania
222, 900 who can neither read nor write
and in the state Of New York PAL 900 VIII,
can neither read nor write, while In tn
United States there are nearly Q, DOC, OO
who can neither read nor write. Statistic
enough to stagger and confound any maj
who loves his God and his country. Now
In view OF this fact, am In favor of com
pulsory education. When parents are 81
bcstial as to neglect this duty to the child
say the law, with strong hand, at thu
same time with gentle hand, ought Il
lead these little ones into the light Of
intelligence and good morals. It was Q
beautiful tableau when in our city Q
swarthy policeman having picked up q
lost child In the street, was found appeas.
ing its cries with stick Of candy he had
bought at the apple stand That was
we'll done, and beautifully done. But,
oh! these thousands Of little ones through
our streets who are crying for the bread
Of knowledge and intelligence. Shall we
not give 1t to themf' The officers of the
law ought to 60 down into the cellars, and
| up into the carrots, and bring out these
benighted littls ones and put them under
educational Influences; after they have
passed through the bath and under the
comb, putting before them the spelling
book, and teaching them to read the
Lords Prayer and the sermon on the
| mount; "Blessed are the poor In spirit,
for theirs 10 the Kingdom OF Heaven. !"
Our city ought TO be father and mother
both to these outcast little ones. AS
recipe tor the cure OF much OF the woe,
| and want and crime OF our city, Igive the
words which Thorwaldsen had chiseled on
the open scroll In the hand OF the statue
Of John Gutenberg, the inventor OF the art
Of printing: LET there be lght!'
lStin further: Reformatory societies are
an Important element in the rectiacation
Of the public fountain. Without calling
any of them by name, I refer more espe-
cially to those which recognize the phys
ical as well as the moral woes OF the
world. There was pathos and a great
deal of common sense in what the poor
woman said to DR.. Guthrie when he was
telling her what a yery good woman she
ought to be, ooh" she said. 'if YOU
were as hungry and cold as / am. YOU
could think Of nothing else." I believe
the great want of our city is the Gospel
and something to eat. Faith and repent
ance are of infinite Importance; but they
cannot satisfy an empty stomach. You
have to 20 forth in this work with the
bread of eternal life in your right hand
and the bread of this life in your left
hand, and then you can touch them, i'm
itatinp the Lord Jesus Christ, who first
broke the bread and fed the multitude in
the wilderness, and then began to preach.
recognizing the fact that while people are
hungry they will not listen and they will
not repent. We want more common sense
in the distribution of our charities: fewer
magnificent theories, and more hard
work.
Sill further. The great remedial in
f,uence is the oosnei NJ Christ Tale that
down tbrouob The lanes of suffering Ta[e
that down amid the novels of ain. Take
that mn amid the mansions and nalaces of
vonr citv That Il the self that can c,,re
sil the. noisnned fountains of nmhlic in.
innityf trf Won know that in this cluster
II three cities. New York. JERSEY CITY and
Rrooklvn. there are a great multitude of
homeless children? You see speak more
in regard to the youth and the children of
the country. because old villains are
seldom reformed. and. therefore. I talk
more about the little ones. They sleen
under the stoops. in the burned ont safe
in the wagons in the streets. on the baroes
wherever thew can get a board to cover
them. And in the summer thew sleep all
NIGHT long in the parks. Their destitution
is well set forth by an incident. A citv
missionary asked one of them: "Where Is
vour homer" Said he: II don't have no
home sir ), uWell where are vour father
and mother,, "They are dead. sir"
"Did YOU ever hear of Jesus Christ?'' sNo.
I don't think ever heard of him." "Did
YOU ever hear of God?' eyes, I've heard
of God. Some of the poor people think it
kind of lucky at night to say something
over about that before they 20 to sleep.
Yes. sir. I've heard of him." Think of a
like that in Christian CITY.
How MANY are waiting for you to come
out in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ
and rescue them from the wretchedness
here. Oh. that the church of God had
arms long enough and hearts warm
enough to take them up! How MANY of